The New Physics and Its Evolution eBook

CHAPTER X

THE ETHER AND MATTER

Sec. 1. The Relations between the Ether and Matter:
Attempts to reduce all matter to forms of ether—­Emission
and absorption phenomena show reciprocal action—­
Laws of radiation—­Radiation of gases—­Production
of spectrum—­Differences between light and
sound variations show difference of media—­Cauchy’s,
Briot’s, Carvallo’s and Boussinesq’s
researches—­Helmholtz’s and Poincare’s
electromagnetic theories of dispersion.

Sec. 2. The Theory of Lorentz:—­Mechanics
fails to explain relations between ether and matter—­Lorentz
predicts action of magnet on spectrum—­Zeeman’s
experiment —­Later researches upon Zeeman
effect—­ Multiplicity of electrons—­Lorentz’s
explanation of thermoelectric phenomena by electrons—­Maxwell’s
and Lorentz’s theories do not agree—­Lorentz’s
probably more correct—­Earth’s movement
in relation to ether.

Sec. 3. The Mass of Electrons: Thomson’s
and Max Abraham’s view that inertia of charged
body due to charge—­Longitudinal and transversal
mass—­Speed of electrons cannot exceed that
of light—­Ratio of charge to mass and its
variation—­Electron simple electric charge—­Phenomena
produced by its acceleration.

CHAPTER XI

THE FUTURE OF PHYSICS

Persistence of ambition to discover supreme principle
in physics—­Supremacy of electron theory
at present time—­Doubtless destined to disappear
like others—­ Constant progress of science
predicted—­Immense field open before it.

INDEX OF NAMES

INDEX OF SUBJECTS

CHAPTER I

THE EVOLUTION OF PHYSICS

The now numerous public which tries with some success
to keep abreast of the movement in science, from seeing
its mental habits every day upset, and from occasionally
witnessing unexpected discoveries that produce a more
lively sensation from their reaction on social life,
is led to suppose that we live in a really exceptional
epoch, scored by profound crises and illustrated by
extraordinary discoveries, whose singularity surpasses
everything known in the past. Thus we often hear
it said that physics, in particular, has of late years
undergone a veritable revolution; that all its principles
have been made new, that all the edifices constructed
by our fathers have been overthrown, and that on the
field thus cleared has sprung up the most abundant
harvest that has ever enriched the domain of science.